Sausage & Mushroom Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Sauce - Can be made Vegan

This was not a difficult dish to make, but it does require three pans to clean and a casserole dish also.  I saw this recipe and changed it up to suit my husband's taste.  I also list below how to convert it to a great vegan dish.  To make this dish you will need:
1 lb pasta shells, cooked 9 minutes
1 tbsp olive oil
l package Sweet Italian Turkey sausage (Vegan - Vegan Sausage**)

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

4 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp butter (Vegan - Earth Balance)

2 Tbsp flour

3 cups milk (Vegan - Soy Milk)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup Greek yogurt (Soy Yogurt)

⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese (Vegan - Tofutti Ricotta)

6 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

1½ tsp salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1.)  In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil.  Add the sausage, onion and garlic.  Smash the turkey to break it up.  Add the mushrooms and cook until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions and the mushrooms are tender.  Tilt the pan to the side to drain off the liquid in the pan.  Put aside to cool slightly.

2.)  In a large heavy pot melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook for several minutes. Add milk, pumpkin, yogurt, and ricotta. Cook this for four to five minutes over medium heat to thicken. Add sage, salt and black pepper. Mix to combine and take off of heat.

3.)  Stuff the shells with the Sausage Mushroom mixture.  Pour the sauce over the shells.  Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 for twenty minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

 

**Note to Vegans.  I know there are a few different varieties of vegan sausage out there.  In my experience the best vegan sausage is made by Field Roast.  If you cannot find it in your store, you can purchase it on the internet.  It really makes a difference.